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Confistently with the fame plan, the perfons he chofe for partners and companions in this work,

forefight of the cafe, and in fome other views expedient for a ftate of difcipline, Vid. Difc, on Death] and greater ftrefs laid on it than any fubfequent ones; probably because it was the firft, and made way for all others: fo to the death of Chrift, that last and highest inftance of his fuffering and obedience, [Phil. ii. 8.] more efficacy feems to be attributed; this being the completion, Job. xix. 30.] of his undertaking to remove the effects of that original, as well as of all fubfequent tranfgreffions; by exhibiting a perfect character in our nature, and thereupon obtaining terms of more advantage for it; by leading us through death to a better life, and giving at oncethe clearest evidence, and exemplification of it: more, I fay, feems to be placed in that, than any of the reft; though they are all neceffary and effential parts of his office, and therefore always to be taken together with it. Some perfons indeed understand no more by Chrift's dying for us, than the voluntary laying down of his life as a teftimony to the truth of all his doctrine, and in that fense suffering for our benefit; which was, no doubt, greatly fo, and as fuch of great merit with the Father: but that, I apprehend, does not reach the whole idea, nor render this act fo proper and peculiar to Chrift (in contradiftinction to all other martyrs; who, though they had no abfolute right to life, yet by the common courfe of nature were entitled to a longer continuance in being here; and therefore, their voluntary refignation of it, in the fame caufe, may fo far be fuppofed to have merit alfo with God ;) this fenfe, I fay, of Christ's dying for us, is not fo peculiar to him, as the Scripture feems to reprefent it; and as it appears when viewed in the other light, in which it is more ufually placed Nor does the former feem fufficient to account for all thofe ftrong terms made ufe of in describing it, by way of ranfom, and the price of our redemption from death, or destruction ; as the purchase of a refurrection to everlasting life; as reaching beyond the curfe entailed on us by the firft Adam; and not only reverfing it, but railing us to a condition above that from which he fell. Rom.v. 15, 20, &c. which therefore implies greater benefit, and more abundant grace; not only tending to qualify us for fuch privileges, but actually procuring, and conveying them to us. 'Tis true, fuch terms as ranfom, or redemption, buying, purchase, &c. are fometimes used in a more lax fignification, and without any proper price: Exod. vi. 6. xv.13. Deut. vii. 8. xv. 15. 2 Sam. vii. 23. P. lxxvii. 15, &c. [Vid. Taylor in Rom. p.7.] where what is termed a redemption, was effected by power, and not price: but where the confideration is expressly affigned

and

This he did, both by his own rifing from the grave, and visibly afcending into Heaven; and by raifing many others at the fame time, who probably afcended with him, though not in the fame vifible manper. See Benfon's Differt, on Matt. xxvii. 52, 53. Life of Chrifl, p. 693. Comp. Cleric, in Ef. L. iii. 8.

work, were of the lowest class, as well in ftation, as abilities; and who could only follow him at firft

and infifted on, as in the prefent case, [Mitt. xx. 28. 1 Cor. vi. 20. vii. 23.] this feems to confine the words more closely to their original import. Vid. Guffet, Com. L. Ebr. in voce p. 158. It must likewife be confeffed, that Chriff's mediatorial office is compared to many other things under the Jewish difpenfation; v. g. to the priesthood, and its feveral branches, and appendages. He is faid to bear, or bear away our fins, in refemblance of that Goat which was prefented before the Lord upon the day of Expiation. Vid. Sykes on Heb. ix. 28. He is ftiled our high-prieft, and propitiatory, or mercyfeat, λasngior; as well as propitiation, as the pafchal-lamb, (dying at the very time when that was facrificed) a fin-offering, peace-offering, &c. His body termed the temple; his flesh the vail of the fan&um fan&torum, and he himself described as leading the way into it, &c. By a variety of such things are his person and character denoted, as fully anfwering to, and far exceeding all such, in the good, falutary effects of his undertaking; though that cannot properly be confined, or appropriated to any one of them: Nor should we therefore urge an entire conformity between it and any of thefe particulars; or think this fufficiently proved, when we produce a number of paffages concurring to represent the thing in that view; nor need we attempt to explain any fuch away; but may allow them their full force; fince there are many others likewife, which reprefent the fame thing under very different images; and these in fome refpects incompatible with each other: which feems to fhew, that all fuch reprefentations are but partial ones, and highly figurative. See Bourn's 6th Serm. Vol. II. Benfon on 1 Job. i. 7. or his Life of Chrift, c. 11. fect. 1. Script. Doctr. of Remiffion, A. D. 1761. Fleming's Doctr. of the Eucharift, 1763, Balguy's Effay on Redemption, or Theolog. Repof. N°. i. p. 134, &c, ib. 346, and N°. vi. p. 420, &c. or Dr. Harwood, New Introd. V. 2. § 17. p. 225, &c. Thus much may be allowed; but then it ought to be acknowledged alfo, that to this notion of atonement, reference is had more frequently in fetting forth the end of Chrift's death; to which therefore it may be fupposed to bear a nearer, and more flrict relation; God having been pleased to order, that it fhould be reprefented and regarded as fuch, nay, defcribed in the ftrongeft facrifical phrafes,' fince it answered completely all the rational purposes that fuch could ever ferve." Fofter, Utefulness, &c. p. 332. And notwithstanding that the chief end of Chrift's fuffering was unknown to the feveral intruments employed therein; which was rather permitted to follow, as it were on courfe, from the perverfe malice of the Jews; without any fuch intention either in them, or the Romans, as accompanied the formal offering up a facrifice; yet was it pointed out by Chrift himself, (Vid. Outram L. ii. c. 3. or Whitby on Job. xvii. 19. and on Heb. ii. 1.) who by the loud voice with which he uttered his laft words,

(Pool

firft

upon the lowest views; and would at every turn, be urging and impatient to have these accomplished;

(Pool on Matt. xxvii. 50. Lightf. Vol.II. p.1354. Doddr. on Luke xxiii. 46.) and other circumftances, (Matt.xxvi. 53. Job. xviii. 6.) fhewed, that his life was not violently taken from him; nor a period put to it in the common courfe of things, (Hallet, Difc. Vol. II. p. 285. Mofhem. de Reb. Chrift. ante Conft. fæc. 1. f. 10. Benson, Life of Chrift, p. 514.) but voluntarily refigned into his Father's hand, as he had before fignified; Job. x. 18. and his death thereby, according to his own request accepted in like manner as facrifices used to be, on the moft folemn occafions; made the great feal of a general covenant; turned to an universal benefit to the whole human race; and rendered of more value in the fight of God, than any, or all the performances of this kind put together. Thus 1 Tim. ii. 6. it is termed arriλutpor, i. e. inftead, or in the room of a facrifice: and thus Matt. xx. 28. and Mark x. 45. λutpov av Toλλ may perhaps be interpreted as if up were understood, and fignify a ransom in the place of the many, or all the piacular facrifices or atonements under the law. See Richie's peculiar Doctrines of Revelation, Pt. iv. p. 131. The Jews had been long ufed to the facrifical language, and were well acquainted with the feveral circumftances of that way of worship; 'tis alfo certain, as ABp. Tillotson obferves (Vol. I. Serm. xlvi. fol.) that an apprehenfion and perfuafion had very early and univerfally obtained among mankind, concerning the expiation of fin, and appeafing the offended Deity, by facrifices:' but it is not equally clear, that this great difpenfation (inftead of being in its own nature every way fit, and independently a moft wife and good measure) was framed in fuch a manner purely in condefcenfion to, and compliance with that pre-established notion; fince the fame author allows these to have been 'only types and fhadows of the true expiatory facrifice,' (Vol. II. p. 129.) And there feems to be no lefs difficulty in accounting for this fame ufage among the Jews, and God Almighty's either poffeffing mankind with this principle, or permitting them to be fo perfuaded; (ib. Vol. I. p. 480.) if it was not in order to a better Covenant, an higher and more noble inftitution, fixed in the divine decrees before the other took place in the world. Vid. Confiderations, note †. p. 189.

There muft, indeed, be fome ideas common to them both, or elfe the one could be no kind of introduction to the other; but to identify these two, or go backward in accommodating the latter to the former, the more perfect inftitution to the lefs, feems not a very natural fuppofition; granting the first to be any divine inftitution át all, of which before; Confiderations, p. 52. note i. And to attempt a folution by admitting both schemes, viz. that this inftitution of facrifice may have been originally divine; (as the fame author does, P. 478.) looking foward to the great atonement, and leading mankind to an apprehenfion of it; at the fame time allowing that atonement itself to have a retrofpect to fuch apprehenfion, and to be really

3

grounded

complished; nor were they to be let into his real aim, but by flow steps, and after a long series of gentle

grounded thereon; feems to be arguing in a circle, and leaving the whole without any proper ground at all. Nor, laftly, is the facrifice of the death of Chrift, to be refolved into a mere popular phrase; as when one person is vulgarly faid to be facrificed to another's intereft, and the like. Nor can thofe numerous texts which are commonly produced on this occafion, and feem to denote fomething vicarious, be eafily explained in any other fenfe; though much indeed has been done this way by very honeft, and able writers. And on fecond thoughts, I am led to imagine, that much more may yet be done that when we come to a more perfect understanding of the fcripture-language, we may be able to account for all paffages upon this fubject, which point at the particular circumftance of pouring out the blood in facrifice, as intended only to illuftrate fo much of that exalted act of Chrift, whereby he offered himself to certain death, in the discharge of his miniftry; a miniftry, undertaken out of the most intenfe love to mankind; and executed with the greatest patience, conftancy, and refolution; for their recovery from the dominion of their evil habits, and of those evil Beings which feduced them; in order to convince them, how much he had that recovery at heart; and of what infinite consequence it was to them; who had all, like loft sheep, gone aftray, and expofed themfelves to fuch eminent danger of perdition, that nothing lefs could have faved them from it, than the perfevering care of that good Shepherd. who will not leave bis flock, when the wolf cometh; but faithfully perfifts in guarding and defending them, even at the expence of his own life. Under this idea is the death of Chrift proposed to us by St. John for our imitation, as an instance of the moft confummate virtue, 1. Joh. iii.16. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the Brethren. This is the very image, under which he himself hath set forth this tranfaction to us: (Vid. infra p. ) which though it were no proper facrifice, in the grofs fense of the word; yet confidering the circumftances under which, and the intent with which, this offering was made; it answered all the ends, and attained the benefits of every kind of facrifice; viz. the preferving, or reftoring a perfect union between man and his Maker: [fee Sykes on Heb.vii. 27. Benfon, Life of Chrift, p.445.] and thence became a more fignal inftance of that progrefs and improvement, carried on among the divine difpenfations, which we are maintaining, than if it had been wholly of the fame kind with the former inftitutions; and nothing more than a piacular victim; fuppofing any fuch to have ever been admitted for grofs violations of a moral law. See Sykes Script. Doctr. of Red. p. 328, &c. or Richie's Peculiar Doctrines of Revelation, p. 221, &c. I would then have all that Chrift did and fuffered, taken into the general plan of our redemption; and all parts of it understood in fuch a manner, as to have the fame tendency, toward the reformation and melioration of

man.

gentle difcipline. Such perfons were in many respects most difficult to be dealt with; but no unfit inftruments for that, which they were then defigned for, namely, to teftify what they had fo often feen and heard; and on all accounts most proper to afford the best, most unexceptionable evidence to futurity: fuch as could by no means be fuppofed capable of themselves either to con

ceive

mankind; to be a plan of moral difcipline, and rational government; in its own nature exquifitively calculated to help and enable, to excite and encourage us to work out our falvation; not as mechanically working it out for us; or arbitrarily transferring the acts and attainments of one person to another; without any real ground of resemblance, or conformity between them; or reconciling fuch as have been at enmity against each other, without ever reaching, or removing the true caufe of all that enmity: though these and the like foreign, unfcriptural notions, are often most unhappily mixed with the prefent fubject.

I fhall difmifs the point with obferving, how nearly this mediato rial office, feems to refemble fome other parts of the divine economy, both in refpect of vicarioufnefs, and of its being difcharged by one of the fame nature with ourfelves. That as God Almighty, in the general government of the world, is pleafed to make ufe of fubordinate agents, whofe private happiness, improvement and perfection may be greatly advanced by fuch agency; who have both the forming and difpofing of each other; [p. 10. fupra] who may be greatly ferviceable to each other in various refpects, and carry on the ends of this government, in ways most natural and agreeable to the whole conftitution; that as in his treatment of a particular people, he is faid to enter into covenants with them, and convey fome extraordinary benefits and privileges to them, by the means, on account, and for the fake of fome eminently good perfons amongst them, or their progenitors: Or when fuch privileges have been forfeited, and penalties incurred, upon the interpofition, or at the interceffion of fome fuch eminently worthy perfon to restore these privileges again, remit the punishment, and reinstate that people in his favour: In like manner, he may be conceived to tranfact the greatest and most important affair of our salvation: to fix the conditions of a future ftate, or fettle the conveyance of eternal Life, to mankind, (the grand aim and completion of his feveral difpenfations,) through the mediation of that great, good, and glorious Being, who, by his free appointment, became one of us men, came down from heaven on purpose, as well to procure a place there for us, as to prepare us for it, to #aife and conduct us to it, to remove all the impediments lying in our way, and regain our title to the loft inheritance. See Benson, Life.of Chrift. c. 11. fect.1. and Duckal Serm. 8. Vol. 2.

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